A: Using the standard 3-ref system, the center referee will receive $60, and each assistant referee (aka linesman) will receive $45. The payrate for a 1-referee game is $. A two-man crew will receive $ each.

A: Yes! In fact, this is strongly encouraged. And each newly certified WAWSL player-ref will be reimbursed $65 after officiating five games for the league. (This reimbursement is NOT provided to recertifying player-refs).

Q: Can other non-WAWSL players (male and female) take the new referee course?

A: Yes, but non-WAWSL players are not eligible for the $65 reimbursement from the league, nor will their officiated games count toward a team's five game requirement. That requirement must be fulfilled by a WAWSL player appearing on your team for that season, and CANNOT be fulfilled by a 'friend of the league.'

A: Set aside around $65 for the yellow referee shirt, black shorts, black socks, whistle, flags, and other incidentals. You will also need to purchasee black sneakers or cleats if you don't already have them. For new refs, you can find the best deal by purchasing a complete uniform/equipment package. Referee equipment is available at many stores. One store with good deals on uniform packages is www.satorsoccer.com. Wherever you choose to buy your uniform, we suggest avoiding economy/entry-level packages because those materials may not be quality enough to be comfortable and last several seasons. Referee equipment is also available at soccer supply stores around the Washington, DC area. You can find a list of a several local and online stores here.

After you officiate five WAWSL games, you should have recovered these expenses, plus you shouldn't need replacement gear for a while to come. (Another suggestion: If you're the referee representative for your team, perhaps your team will be willing to cover some of your initial referee expenses.)

Q: What happens if my team does not provide a referee, or if no one meets the five-game minimum? (Fines currently suspended.)

A: Your team will be fined an extra $15 per player that will be applied to player registrations the following season to cover our expenses related to finding replacement referees on behalf of your team. But the league would prefer not to collect these fees.

Q: Can my team provide a referee who is not a league player, such as a sibling or boyfriend/girlfriend of a player?

A: While WAWSL does assign certified referees who are non-WAWSL players to WAWSL games, these games will not count toward a team's 5-game requirement. Only rostered WAWSL Players qualify for the 5-game referee requirement. The short-term goal of the WAWSL Player-Ref Program is to encourage WAWSL players to become referees and officiate WAWSL games. The long-term goal is to have WAWSL games be 100% officiated by the league's own players.

A: It's an art, not a science. To get the best possible assignments, give the assignor your availability well in advance. Every effort will be made to give WAWSL players priority over non-WAWSL players. And if you're desperately trying to meet your five-game minimum the last week of the season, you may be out of luck if those games are already assigned.

Q: Will players be reffing games in the same division in which they regularly play?

A: In an ideal world, players would not officiate games between teams in the same division. Unfortunately, it's not an ideal world. In order to cover as many games as possible, there will be times when WAWSL player-refs officiate games in the same division in which they regularly play.

A: Once you have accepted a referee assignment, if an emergency occurs, it is your responsibility to find a replacement referee and call the assignor as soon as possible. Missing your assignment lets a lot of people down, and you won't be as likely to get assignments in the future.

Q: If I am assigned a game and it is rained out, does that count toward my five game requirement or my bonus?

A: The policy is that games that were rained out do not count toward your five game requirement or the bonus. If there are exceptional circumstances, the Board, in consultation with the referee assignor, may make excpetions to this rule and count some rainouts towards the five game requirement (e.g. a player referee volunteered for games almost every week and multiple assignments were rained out). No rained out games will be considered toward any potential bonus. The only exception is for games called off at the field.